3/1 To Win
Derby County Under-18s kick-start their FA Youth Cup campaign on Tuesday evening with a trip to Bloomfield Road to face Blackpool.
Justin Walker’s side go into the tie in fantastic form. They currently sit in third place in the Premier League – North table, just two points behind league leaders Everton.
They also sit at the top of Group C in the Premier League Cup, two points clear of Aston Villa, who they face in their final group match this Saturday.
In their latest match, they were 2-1 winners over Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Training Centre in partnership with the University of Derby, securing their eighth victory in all competitions in their last nine matches.
Tyree Wilson and Morgan Whittaker both netted for the Rams before half-time to secure the three points, with Austin Samuels scoring from the penalty spot to claw a goal back for the visitors after the interval.
During last year’s Youth Cup, the Rams beat Manchester United in the third round via a penalty shoot-out at Pride Park Stadium, after drawing 2-2 at the end of extra time.
That victory took them to face another former Youth Cup winning side in the form of Norwich City, who lifted the trophy in 1983 and 2013. Derby again took the Canaries to extra time, but were unable to defeat them, losing 4-2 in the fourth round at Carrow Road.
Tuesday’s opponents Blackpool had a fantastic cup run of their own last season, reaching the semi-finals, where they were knocked out by Arsenal, who have won this competition seven times.
Speaking to dcfc.co.uk after Saturday’s win over Wolves, Walker described the trip as a tough test that he and his side are looking forward to.
He said: “We’ve got a busy week, with a league game today, FA Youth Cup on Tuesday and then the Premier League Cup on the following Saturday. I know it’s a bit of a cliché but we’re just going one game at a time.
“But we’re looking forward to going to Blackpool, I think it’ll be a tough test for us, they’re a good team and they’re going well in their own respective league.
“They did very well themselves last year as they got to the semi-final of the FA Youth Cup, so we know what we’re up against and we’re going to have to be at our best to progress.”
Blackpool are currently in second place of the North West Youth Alliance League, but in their last game the Tangerines were beaten 6-0 by league leaders, Wigan Athletic.
Kick-off on Tuesday evening at Bloomfield Raod takes place at 7pm; entry for spectators is priced at £3 for adults and £1 for concessions - while supporters that can't make the journey north can watch the game LIVE and for FREE on RamsTV.
Words by Jonty Colman
